Process for manufacturing shotgun shells



iii

Patented Jan. 31, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENTIOFFICE.

HARLEY T. PECK, OF LEBANON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE PETERS CARTRIDGE PANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PROCESS FOR MANUFACTURING SHOTG'UN SHELLS.

No Drawing.

This invention relates to the process of preparing paper tubes for use in the manu facture of shot gun shells and has for 'its object the provision of a process by which shells of more uniform characteristics, more attnctive appearance, superior ater resisting properties, greater resistance to cut-oft, and generally improved characteristics shall be produced.

The invention is exemplified in the process and combination of steps thereof described in the following specification, and it is more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the process of manufacturing shot gun shells as heretofore practiced, tubes have been formed by rolling the tubes from paper sheets, the tubes thus formed being sized to a suitable diameter by passing through dies and thereafter soaked in melted parahine and cut into proper lengths for shells, Shot gun shells thus waterproofed were subject to great variation due to various proportions of wax content. Variation in density of paper, tightness of rolling, and differences in pasting all affected the ease with which the melted wax entered the tubes and consequently different batches of tubes re ceived various percentages of wax and the completeness of impregnation varied in different tubes for particular portions thereof. It has been found that the miterproofing properties of the para'lfme can be greatly increased if su iplemented by a thin film of a proper drying oil or lubricating and drying mixture applied to the outer surface of the tube prior to impregnation with the wax, provided that a suitable process employed to thoroughly in'ipregna'te the tube with the paraftinc after the preliminary surface coating. It has also been discovered that if the proper material is used the oil for coating the outer surface of the tube may also be employed to serve the additional function of lubricating the tube for sizing by passing through the sizing dies.

I have found that a suitable material for lubricating the tubes for sizing and forforming the coating for the surface of the tubes is soya bean oil, especially when mixed with other ingredients to facilitate drying. I have found by mixing with the soya bean oil a small proportion of a mineral drier, such as lead oleate, for instance, or a suitable amount of an insoluble metallic soap, such Application filed March 22, 1926. Serial No. 96,613.

as aluminum stearate, or both, a very ethcient material is provided for lubricating the shells and forming the desired coating on the outer surface, when permitted to dry. For instance, I can use with success for the purpose described the following formula: 88% soya bean oil, 10% aluminum stearate, 2% lead oleate.

I am not, however, in successfully applying my invention, strictly limited, to the above percentages, but may vary them from time to time to'suit variations in the quality of the oil used or other conditions. Nor am I strictly limited to lead oleate as a mineral drier or to aluminum stearate as an insoluble metallic soap, but cite each merely as suiti able individual substances out of a group of many more or less suitable materials. Instead of lead oleate, I may use lead linoleate or cobalt acetate or zinc oleatc, or one of many other driers suitable to my purpose. Instead of aluminum stearate I may use aluminum palmitate or copper oleate or zinc steal-ate or one of many other insoluble metallic soaps suitable to my purpose. The addition of a drier is advantageous as soya bean oil is of itself rather slow in drying; and insoluble soap is added forthe purpose of increasing the waterproofing qualities of the oil. These ingredients are incorporated together by blowing air through the mixture at a temperature of from e00 to 450 Fahrenheit.

I have also found that pure Perilla oil is a suitable material for lubricating and coat ing the outersurtace of the tube. The Perilla oil possesses such waterproofing qualities and it dries when spread in a Iilm within such time that most grades are satisfactory for use in the raw state as purchased on the market. However, with some grades it may be desirable to add one or both of the other ingredients used in connection with the soya bean oil. The lubricating oil is applied to the tubes shortly or immediately before the ironing or sizing process, each tube being coated with a film of the lubricant. The tubes are then run through'the sizing dies. After the sizing, each tube has on its external surface a thin film of the liquid waterproofing lubricant. The oilsmentioned above are drying or semi-drying oils and are non-polymerizable and will not f solidify when subjected to the ironing or. sizing process. Nor do they solidify when lot) subjected to a high temperature as hereinbefore described, or in any other operation or stage of my process, except when spread on the tubes in a thin film exposed to the air whielr slowly dries or hardens by absorption of oxygen from the air. inthemanner of a paint or varnish. The film of oil is allowed to remain undisturbed enthe tubes for about thirty-six hours at room temperature, during which intervalit partially penetrates the extreme outer skin or layer of the tube and dries like a "Varnish, leaving a smooth, attractiveouter'finish anda surface waterproofing film.

The applicatimnof the materials men-, tioned abote-tothe surface of the tubes and I the distribution"of these materials by the dies duringthe sizingfln'ocess imparts. to the tubes a high polish which is of exceptionztlly attractive appearance at the same time that thewaterproofing rum applied.

here, this preliminary emit-inn" applied to h the tubes, however, it is found,in'iprzurtieal, at atmospheric pressure, to properly impregnate the paper otthe' tubes to complete the waterproofing. process, for the reason that thecoatingmaterial seals the outer sin face of the tubes and partially saturates the paper especially near-the outer surface so that paratlfine wax or other waterproofing mgretlien'ts will not enter uniformly iuto the paper aexeept when subjected to a vacuum treatment, which will now be described.

After the toningmine-in has driedflm tubes are placed in a closed tank and the air is exhaustedlroin within the tanlt and. also from the pores ofthe paper, a high degree of vacuum being einployedl 'While the acuum is still maintained in the tank melted paralfineis drintn intothe tank to complete-i ly eoi erthe tubes. The parai'line is adn iitted under raclunn. so that it may have oppou tunity to'enter the pores of the tubes while th air exhausted therefrom. lVhile the tubes are still submerged in the paratline the vacuum is released and the contents of the tztnlrrnayf or may not besubjeeted] to pres sure above atmospheric. This process impregnates the. shells in a inin innunj ol time and to a very high degreeot unitorlniti not ootainableby the old process of subjecting the tubes to meltedparitflineat atmosphe .0. pressure anchwithout the preliminary fren'ioial of airfrom the poresef the paper.

Coxhbini g the outer coating treatment and the remit twaxtreatment produces :PStlll'F; in the water iiroofing properties of theshells which greatly exceeds the h eil'eetsoit the two tireatnrentsl sep rately?! This may be easily" demonstrated by s bjeetinp; the, shells to a water immersion test, that is, by imnier Q shells inv water and noting the length of time requ'i lffor them to swell to fit a stantlardgauge provided for the purpose. The highest fdegree of water;

eoated with. a

v and wood grainilrqr.

a dark red color is used, it is ton nl tluui able oils usare.sometimes ulrying,

tion between strict l i nggregate oit the proofing obtained by treating shells with the parattine process without providing the waterproofing outer coating),- is one and onehalf hours for the particular gauge used in the tests employed i Vhere the shells are Waterprooliug lihu and the parafiine treatn'ient omitted the shells swell. to the size determined bythe gauge in about fifteen minutes hen the shells are subjeelted to con'ibined treutniei'it oli' surlzu-e coal ing and vacuum impregnaticm the areragn. time required to cause the slmlls to swell to fit the gauge is three hours and some shells will withstiind the testtor a period oi? toun and one-half hours.

Another great adventurer obtaiuml. by the tr atinent ot' the shells; as outlined almre is the elimination oi what. is termed. eut-ol'l' that is the breaking or cutting oi. the shells at the end oi. the metal head. 'lhisell'er which heretofore caused a trouble is which reeult when the shot shell is the gases entei iiur the pores: ol

tired, the paper so weakening the tube that the pressure eauswgthe paper to be cut oil at the edge of the, metallic head. Winfrethe tuber-1 are treated recording to the present intention the paper so tliorourrhl t impriurnated that the gases are exeluded 'troin (.*11tei'i1urt'lze paper and cnt-ott is entirely eliminated Another advantage obtained by the treatn'lent deseribed above llliPl'fjlVOllltillt in the ap iearanee ot the finished. shells. When the shells are first proofing coatlnga ugrnaterials ol the 1n1- urea t de a l o l" produced by the heated gases.

gii en an outer .wateu tureot those referred, to and a'itta'wardssill mitted to the vacuum treatment to impregnate the paper beneath thecoatiiuz, it.

pecul in nuxly attractive linisb is after the tubes have been. eiwn the outer coating and sulnnitted to the vacuum pan aliine treatment the surfaces oi the tubes. have an zun eurzmee re:-'e1nbliiu biu'hl pols. ished mahogany so that the rartrulu'es hare an excepthmally distinctive and attractive appearance.

While I re'ter in the foregoingspecilieaLion. and in the claims to during oils, it will be understood that I use the tel-Into waver, in addition to strictly drv jioils, such suit classilitul as Shilli- There is no sharp line of deniarha my invention to the details c' leseribed, ox-i and stuninlry used drlen too.

lli will'be cept as 'iarticularly pointed out in the fo lowing claims.

I claim LThe process of treating tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of applying a coating of lubricating drying oil to the outer surface of the tubes, passing the tubes through a sizing die, and permitting the oil to dry to form awaterproofing coating on the outer surface of said tubes.

2. The process of treating tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of applying a coating of lubricating drying oil to the outer surface of the tubes, passing the tubes through a sizing die, exposing the tubes to atmosphere for a period of time to permit the coating to dry and harden upon the surface of the tubes, and thereafter subjecting the tubes to a liquid waterproofing material in a vacuum chamber.

3. The process of treating tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of applying a coating of a drying lubricating material to the outer surface of the tubes, passing the tubes through a sizing die. exposing the tubes to atmosphere for a period of time to permit the coating to penetrate the material of the tubes and to dry and harden therein and on the surface thereof, subjecting the tubes to a vacuum to extract air from the pores thereof, and subn .rging the tubes in melted wax while still subj ect-ed to vacuum to cause the wax to thoroughly impregnate the material of the tubes.

4-. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising" the steps of applying a coating of lubricating drying oil to the outer surface of the tubes, passing the tubes through a sizing die, exposin the tubes to atmosphere for a period of time to permit the coating to dry and harden, subjecting the coated tubes to a vacuum to extract air from the pores of the tubular material beneath the coated surface, immersing the tubes in melted parattine while still subjected to vacuum, and subjecting the tub-es to pressure above atmospheric while immersed in the melted pa raliine.

The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of coating the outer surface of the tubes with a lubricating oil mixed with a drying agent, passing the coated tubes through a sizing die, permitting the oil to dry on the outer surface of the tubes, subjecting the tubes to a vac mun, and applying a water 'iroofing agent in liquid forn'i to said tubes while subjected to vacuum.

(3. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of applying a lubricating oil mixed with a dryin agent and an insoluble metallic soap. to

e; the outer surface of the tubes, passing the tubes through a sizing die, exposing the tubes to atmosphere to permit the coating to dry thereon, and thereafter impregnating the tubes with parafline in a vacuum chamber.

7. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of applying soya bean oil to the surface of the tubes and permitting the oil to dry While exposed to atmosphere. 7

8. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of coating the outer surface of the tubes with a mixture containing soya bean oil and a drier, and permitting the mixture to dry while exposed to atmosphere.

9. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of coating the outer surface of the tubes with a mixture containing soya bean oil, a drying agent, and an insoluble soap, and permitting the mixture to dry while exposed to atmosphere.

10. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of coating the outer surface of the tubes with a waterproofing and lubricating material containing soya bean oil, passing the tubes through a sizing die to reduce the tubes to unform size and to distribute evenly the oil on the surface of the tubes, and thereafter permitting the oil to dry while exposed to the atmosphere.

11. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells comprising the steps of applying to the tubes a coating of lubricatii'ig and waterproofing material the principal ingredient of which is soya bean oil. passing the coated tubes through a sizing die while the tubes are wet with the mixture, permitting the mixture to dry while exposed to at mosphere. subjecting the tubes to vacuum to extract air from the material of the tubes beneath the surface coating, and thereafter flooding the tubes with melted paraiiin while still subjected to vacuum. I

12. The process of treating paper tubes for shot gun shells con'iprising the steps of coating the outer surface of the tubes with a mixture of soya. bean oil and a drying agent, passing the tubes through a sizing die while wetwith the mixture, permitting the mixture to dry while exposed to atmosphere for a period of approximately thirtysix hours, subjecting the tubes to vacuum to extract air from the pores thereof, immersing the tubes in melted paratlin while still subjected to vacuum, and thereafter applying pressure above atmosphere to the tubes while still submerged in the paratlin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 17th day of March, A. D. 1926.

HARLEY T. PECK. 

